BENGALURU: One of the biggest lakes in Bengaluru — the Ulsoor lake — is in a mess, thanks to the festive season. The lake has recently started emitting a bad smell after civic agencies failed to clear immersed idols from the kalyani at the lake.
Ramesh, a resident of Indiranagar, a frequent visitor to the lake, said that the kalyani has become a mess. “No one is even able to stand near the water body. There are two kalyanis next to the lake — one has uncleared idols and the other one has sewage water. There is plastic floating in the lake. It is such a beautiful lake and they have destroyed it. In spite of repeated pleas to BBMP authorities, it hasn’t been cleared,’’ he said.
Ramesh mentioned that a private builder had taken up parts of the lake premises for maintenance. “They have just taken up clearing of the joggers track but haven’t touched the lake or kalyani. The lake is dying,’’ he added.
Shivaraj, who resides at Bharathinagar, said that weeds in the lake were not cleared. “The smell is unbearable. On top of that, mosquitoes start breeding. We know that many diseases have spread because of mosquitoes, then why cant we keep the lake clean? Most of the idols are made out of Plaster of Paris, which cannot be dissolved. Ulsoor premises have literally become a dustbin,’’ he said. Recently, more than 1,000 personnel from the Madras Engineers Group, waded into the lake to clean the garbage in it. But the situation is so bad that it cannot be solved in a day or two. When contacted, Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun assured to get the mess cleared in a day. “I will inform the concerned authorities immediately,’’ she said.